Florida could offer special health care plan to the state's farmers and ranchers

The state Senate on Thursday passed a measure that would allow the Florida Farm Bureau to offer largely unregulated health coverage to member farmers and ranchers. The proposal (SB 480), which advanced by a 32-4 vote, would clear the way for “medical benefit plans” that would not be subject to the same state and federal regulations as health insurance. Among the criticisms is the proposal would allow a health plan that would not cover preexisting conditions. [Source: Health News Florida]

At least 900,000 Floridians have already lost access to fluoride in their water

While a new bill banning fluoride from Florida’s public water makes its way through the state Legislature, at least 14 cities have already taken action to remove the compound following a November recommendation from the state surgeon general. Miami-Dade County on Tuesday became the latest local government to vote against fluoride. If the county mayor doesn’t veto the bill, 2.4 million Miami-Dade water customers would join nearly a million other Floridians who have lost access to fluoridated water in recent months. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida mosquito control officials warn of a busy skeeter summer with rising disease risks

Last year, mosquito control across the state saw record numbers in travel-related cases of the mosquito-borne disease dengue. Now, officials are expecting another season of above-average numbers. Travel-related cases are concerning because of how the dengue virus moves from person to person. Florida travelers may go to a dengue-endemic country, like Cuba, and return with the virus. If a Florida mosquito bites that traveler, that mosquito can then infect a Florida resident. If it happens enough times, the virus could become endemic in Florida. [Source: Health News Florida]

What programs help Floridians with dental care?

As Florida grapples with a significant shortage of dental professionals, various organizations are stepping up to address the pressing need for accessible dental care. With nearly half of the state’s population lacking dental insurance, initiatives from the Florida Dental Association, Tooth Fairy Mobile Dental Services and Catholic Charities of Central Florida are making strides to ensure that all Floridians can receive essential dental treatment. [Source: Click Orlando]

Florida hospitals embrace robotic systems for precision surgeries

It may sound like a futuristic concept, but surgical robotic systems are already becoming a mainstay in hospital operating rooms – including many in South Florida. Hospital systems are turning to robotic-assisted technology to perform more precise and minimally invasive surgeries. The benefits for patients and hospital systems are numerous: smaller incisions, reduced blood loss and infection, faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› South Florida plastic surgeon offers free reconstructive procedures for uninsured mothers [WLRN]
Dr Joshua Lampert provides the service as a way to honor his mother, an award-winning interior designer who battled metastatic cancer for 12 years before her death in 2020. Lampert is certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a clinical assistant professor at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. He honors his mother every year,with an annual effort called the ALL for Moms surgery day on her birthday, May 21. Lampert had participated in charity surgical events in the past, including a couple of overseas pediatric plastic surgery missions.

› Sarasota schools to end on-campus therapy program that helped hundreds of kids [Health News Florida]
The Sarasota County school district is ending a longstanding contract that placed full-time mental health therapists in elementary schools at a time when demand for such services remains high and political attacks have targeted mental health funding in schools. The annual contract with The Florida Center for Early Childhood, which has been in place for seven years and served more than 475 children last year alone, will expire at the end of June and will not be renewed, according to the center’s CEO Kristie Skoglund.

› New Florida Coast Medical Center hopes to fulfill need on Treasure Coast [WPTV]
Treasure Coast physicians say there's a shortage of beds and doctors to support the growing population. However, some physicians said they’re hopeful, adding new medical facilities, like the Florida Coast Medical Center in Port St. Lucie, will address that need. “The overwhelming need for care, the overwhelming need for access to care,” said CEO Tyler Sherrill. “A lot of that has to do with the growth in the region.”

› New accelerated nursing master’s at JU aims to revitalize Florida’s healthcare workforce [Jacksonville Business Journal]
Building atop its healthcare education offerings, Jacksonville University has launched an accelerated masters of science in nursing — it’s the first of its kind in the region, according to school leadership. Officially called the Accelerated Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing, it’s a 20-month program designed to give those with a non-nursing bachelor's degree a fast-tracked route into the nursing profession.

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Interview with Pat Geraghty of GuideWell and Florida Blue